FOR any rookie who excels in his first season, the whispers of whether he will suffer the "second-year syndrome" are never too far away.

But Waratahs outside back Lachlan Turner will not listen, even though he is known to be a harsh marker on himself as he strives to maintain his own high standards.

"People talk about that challenge, to play well when they are known," says NSW coach Ewen McKenzie of the second-year syndrome.

"There have been no indicators of that so far. I haven't spoken to him about it. But he is not that way inclined. He spends so much of his own time trying to improve himself. He is not the sort of person who gets bogged down in resting on his laurels."

There is no doubt about that. In the off-season, Turner, 20, worked on improving his speed, to the point that by October he had clocked a personal best of 4.88 seconds for 40 metres to challenge Lote Tuqiri's record of 4.84.

Turner has also spent many extra hours with teammate Kurtley Beale developing his kicking under NSW kicking coach Shannon Fraser.

McKenzie knows Turner will start the Super 14 season as a marked man after his debut in the 16-10 round-seven loss to the Stormers at the Sydney Football Stadium last year. The Eastwood flyer went on to play in eight more Super 14 games for NSW, ending the season being championed as the Australian Super 14 rookie of the year.

In his stellar arrival to Super 14 that included three tries in three games, nothing was more dazzling than his five-pointer against the Crusaders when he left Rico Gear, Stephen Brett and Leon McDonald in his wake. This year, the defenders will make sure they see him coming.

"This year people will be able to focus more on him," McKenzie says, although he adds that the Waratahs have more dangerous backs, not least Timana Tahu, to ensure Turner will not be the sole target for attention.

"Last year, we would not have had enough [players] around him for that, but this year we will have more so that no one is targeted more than anyone."

Waratahs captain Phil Waugh is not worried about Turner trying too hard to impress in his second season but prefers to believe that Turner will continue on from where he finished last year.

"He really didn't play until the second half of last year," Waugh said. "So, hopefully, he is on the back end of the first-year cycle."

Waugh may have had his tongue slightly in his cheek but he is not joking when he says Turner has already become a valued asset for the Waratahs.

One of the policies of the team, Waugh says, is for the experienced members to help players with just one season under their belts to back up without feeling too much pressure. "The senior players take that on board, a responsibility to look after the less experienced players," he says. "Part of that is letting them feel that they should just be doing on the field what they have been doing in training.

"And we have a lot of confidence in Lachie and in his ability. He is instinctively a very good player, and from my end, I am very much more than happy to give him the freedom to play wherever and however he plays.'